Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Staff working in the NTS Payroll section of my Department recently contacted all school secretaries who opted into the new arrangements but who did not come on to my Department’s payroll because of retirement prior to the "go-live" date of 01/09/2023. Contact was also made with the schools in which these secretaries were last employed.

The reason for these contacts was to gather information regarding the date when the secretary ceased employment so that any arrears due could be accurately calculated.

128 school secretaries were contacted and to date 122 have reverted with the required information. Work is being finalised in relation to individual arrears calculations. It is expected that the arrears will issue towards the end of February/early in March 2024.

Arrears to these secretaries will be facilitated by payments that will be made directly to the schools in which they last worked. The schools will then disburse the arrears directly to the secretaries involved.

The arrears due to school secretaries is the difference between the new Grade III salary and the grant funded salary for the 21/22 and 22/23 school years. Calculation of the arrears include pay increases that are in line with those given under Building Momentum and, also, increments payable since September 2021 for the calculated Grade III salary.